This application is related to disclosure document No. 462570 filed Sep. 23, 1999.
The invention relates to a sweetener composition and, more particularly, to a non-hydroscopic free-flowing particulate sweetener composition which is low caloric, low glycemic and dentally safe, and to a method for preparation of same.
Terpene glycosides from cucurbitaceae and rubus have been desirable in the food and health industries because of their intense sweet flavor combined with non-caloric and low glycemic properties.
In dry form, such terpene glycosides have a light dusty powder characteristic, and are extremely hydroscopic, i.e., they attract water and tend to rapidly clump which is undesirable.
In addition, terpene glycosides have an after taste which can be difficult to adjust for so as to provide a suitable sweetener having a desired clean sweet taste profile.
An additional problem has been that the hydroscopic terpene glycoside powders are very difficult to blend with other compositions, particularly with non-hydroscopic ingredients.
It is clear that the need remains for a sweetener composition which takes advantage of the flavor benefits of terpene glycosides without the problems associated with its hydroscopic nature. The need further remains for a sweetener composition utilizing terpene glycosides which has a clean and sweet taste profile.
It is therefore the primary object of the present invention to provide a sweetener composition which is essentially non-hydroscopic.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a sweetener composition which has an excellent taste profile with no after taste.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a method for producing a dry sweetener composition containing terpene glycosides.
Other objects and advantages will appear hereinbelow.
In accordance with the present invention, the foregoing objects and advantages have been readily attained.
According to the invention, a particulate sweetener composition is provided which comprises a terpene glycoside component; a sugar alcohol component; and a terpene glycoside carrier component, wherein the composition is non-hydroscopic.
In further accordance with the invention, a method for making a sweetener composition has been provided, which method comprises the steps of providing a particulate terpene glycoside component; providing a terpene glycoside carrier component; coating the carrier component with the particulate terpene glycoside component so as to provide sub-particles of said fructose component coated with said terpene glycoside component; providing a particulate sugar alcohol component; mixing the sub-particles with the particulate sugar alcohol component in a humid environment so as to provide wet particles containing the terpene glycoside component, the carrier component and the sugar alcohol component; and drying the wet particles so as to provide a dry particulate sweetener composition.
The invention relates to a sweetener composition and, more particularly, to a non-hydroscopic particulate sweetener composition containing terpene glycosides which has an excellent sweet taste profile and which is low caloric and low glycemic.
In accordance with the invention, the sweetener composition includes a terpene glycoside component, a sugar alcohol component and a terpene glycoside carrier component which is preferably fructose. While the terpene glycoside component and fructose component are both hydroscopic in nature, the sugar alcohol component is advantageously non-hydroscopic and the final sweetener composition is non-hydroscopic.
As used herein, the term hydroscopic relates to a quality or nature of a material wherein the material attracts water. Conversely, a product which is non-hydroscopic does not tend to attract water. This characteristic may best be measured by measuring flowability of a composition after exposure to moisture or water source. In accordance with the present invention and disclosure, a product will be considered to be non-hydroscopic if, after being exposed to humidity of about 80% for a period of about 168 hours and a temperature 70-80xc2x0 F., at least about 80% wt. of the composition remains free flowing and non-clumping when passed through a 20 mesh screen. In this regard, it is preferred to obtain a flow rate of 95% wt. under such circumstances.
Fructose is an advantageous sweetener suitable for diabetic use, but is not satisfactory for diet use due to its high caloric content (4 Calories/g). Fructose has a mean particle size range of 0.35-0.55 mm that makes it easy to flow, but hydroscopicity makes it clump when stored.
Erythritol is a sugar alcohol which is low glycemic, has a clean taste, and is low caloric (0.2 calorie/g) but has a low sweet intensity. Crystalline erythritol has a particle size of typically between about 0.2 and about 0.5 mm and in some cases greater than or equal to 1 mm which makes it difficult to blend with fine hydroscopic powders. Erythritol is also available in powder form having a much smaller particle size preferably less than or equal to about 0.2 mm. Erythritol crystals can be ground to a powder which is non-hydroscopic, but the powder easily clumps due to molecular crystalline forces or forces of attraction.
The terpene glycoside component of the sweetener composition of the present invention is advantageously naturally occurring terpene glycosides which can be extracted from members of the cucurbitaceae family and the rubus family. Particularly preferred terpene glycosides include triterpene glycoside extract from the cucurbitaceae family, preferably from Siraitia grosvenori which produces a kiwi-like fruit, and diterpene glycosides from the rubus family, preferably rubus suavissimus. Terpene glycosides from other botanical families are useful as well, such as those from stevia.
Particularly preferred terpene glycosides are mogroside, rubusoside and stevioside. Most preferable terpene glycosides include mogroside IV, mogroside V and siamenoside I, which are preferably obtained from the genus/species S. grovenorii, S. siamensis, S. silomaradiae, S. sikkimensis, S. africana, S. borneensis and S. taiwaniana. The preferred rubusosides are preferably obtained from the genus/species rubus suavissimus, blackberry, kiwi, raspberry, blueberry and genus/species of the rubus family. Preferred steviosides are those obtained from stevia rebaudiana.
The sugar alcohol component is preferably a non-hydroscopic sugar alcohol which is particulate in form at room temperature. The preferred sugar alcohol is erythritol which is a tetrahydric alcohol which occurs naturally and can also be made synthetically. Erythritol presents in fruits such as kiwi, pear, grape and melon, as well as in fruit of the cucurbitaceae family. Erythritol can also be derived from corn dextrose and other similar sources. Additional non-hydroscopic sugar alcohols and anti-caking non-nutritive agents which are suitable for use in accordance with the present invention include isomalt, lactitol, xylitol, palatinit, maltitol, mannitol, sorbitol, silicon dioxide, calcium silicate, gum, cellulose, and the like.
Erythritol is preferably used in powder form having a particle size of less than or equal to about 0.2 mm. Particle sizes larger than 0.2 mm can be difficult to mix with terpene glycoside and fructose according to the invention. Alternatively, erythritol crystals can be used as a source of erythritol. However, crystals have a particle size of between about 0.2 mm and about 0.5 mm and must be ground down to a particle size of less than or equal to about 0.2 mm.
The carrier component can be fructose obtained from any available source as would be readily known to a person of ordinary skill in the art. Fructose is a desirable carrier because its particle size, between about 0.35 mm and about 0.55 mm, is ideal for combining according to the invention, and also because of the desirable flavor characteristics. Other suitable carriers include sucrose; mixtures of fructose with dextrose, maltose, glucose and/or sucrose; polyols and other fruit concentrates.
In accordance with the present invention, it has advantageously been found that by utilizing a particular process and interaction of ingredients to manufacture the sweetener composition of the present invention, the final dry product can be provided containing the desired components and flavor and having non-hydroscopic properties. In accordance with the invention, the particulate terpene glycoside is first mixed with the particulate carrier or fructose component. This results in a coating of the fructose component with the terpene glycoside powder so as to provide sub-particles of terpene glycoside-coated fructose. These sub-particles are then mixed with the non-hydroscopic particulate sugar alcohol component, and exposed to water either through spraying or spreading, or exposure to a humid environment, so that the mixture absorbs moisture and forms wet particles containing the sub-particles of terpene glycosides-coated fructose and sugar alcohol.
These wet particles are then dried so as to provide the desired particulate sweetener composition of the present invention, and this composition has been found, advantageously, to be essentially non-hydroscopic in behavior.
The composition of the present invention is preferably prepared so as to provide the final composition with a terpene glycoside composition of between about 1% wt. and about 30% wt., more preferably between about 2% wt. and about 15% wt. and ideally between bout 3% wt. and about 10% wt.; a sugar alcohol composition in an amount between about 5% wt. and about 95% wt., more preferably between about 20% wt. and about 90% wt. and ideally between about 80% wt. and about 90% wt.; and a fructose composition in an amount between about 0.5% wt. and about 27% wt., more preferably between about 2% wt. and about 15% wt. and ideally between about 3% wt. and about 15% wt.
The final composition of the present invention is preferably prepared so as to have an average particle size of between about 0.1 mm and about 1 mm. The starting ingredients are preferably provided so as to have particulate sugar alcohol powder having a particle size of less than or equal to about 0.2 mm and so as to have carrier or fructose particles having a particle size of between about 0.35 mm and about 0.55 mm.
In connection with the sugar alcohol component, specifically the preferred erythritol composition, it should be noted that a composition can be prepared in accordance with the present invention using either erythritol powder having an average particle size of less than or equal to about 0.2 mm, or using ground erythritol crystals which are ground to powder form having an average particle size of less than or equal to about 0.2 mm.
In addition, although additional mixing is required, and additional anti-caking materials may be required, a relatively non-hydroscopic sweetener can be prepared using only erythritol powder mixed with terpene glycoside in accordance with the present invention. In this case, substantial mixing or grinding is necessary to obtain a good mixture. This can be done during grinding of erythritol crystals down to the desired size, or separately starting with erythritol powder. The results are not as advantageous as those obtained using the fructose component, however, since the composition without fructose still tends somewhat to clump and additional grinding and/or mixing results in additional cost. Nevertheless, such a composition can be provided in accordance with the broad scope of the present invention.
As set forth above, the sub-particles of terpene glycoside-coated fructose carrier are mixed with the particulate sugar alcohol, and exposed to a water source. In one embodiment of the present invention, the mixture of particles is exposed to water source by spreading and spraying with water in an amount of between about 0.25% and about 3% by wt. of the particulate product so that the mixture absorbs moisture and forms wet particles containing the desired three components of the present invention.
Alternatively, the blend of sub-particles and sugar alcohol particles can be exposed to a humid environment, for example having a humidity of between about 85% and about 100%, for between about 5-30 minutes and up to as much as at least about 7 days so as to allow the particles to absorb sufficient moisture and form the desired wet particles containing all three components.
The wet particles are then dried so as to provide the final particulate sweetener composition as desired. The wet particles or moisturized blend are preferably heated to a temperature of between about 37xc2x0 C. and about 50xc2x0 C. so as to speed the drying process. In either moisture exposure embodiment, the drying step is preferably carried out so as to provide final dry product having a water content of less than or equal to about 1% wt.
In some applications, it may be desirable to add additional anti-caking agents to the composition. Suitable anti-caking agents include silicon dioxide, calcium silicate, cellulose and other compositions which are know to the person of ordinary skill in the art to decrease caking.
This additional additive can be included so as to provide even further non-hydroscopic characteristics in the final composition, or, if desired, to allow a decrease in the amount of sugar alcohol component to be used in particular applications.
The final sweetener composition of the present invention includes intensely sweet but hydroscopic terpene glycoside, low caloric and non-hydroscopic erythritol which has a clean sweet flavor approximately 70% as sweet as sucrose, and low glycemic and hydroscopic fructose as a carrier. Each of these components possesses disadvantages separately. Specifically, erythritol can free flow in crystal form but often forms cakes in powder form due to its molecular crystal forces. Terpene glycoside is intensely sweet, but is dusty and hydroscopic and has an after taste. Fructose is both hydroscopic and high caloric.
However, in the final composition, the combination of terpene glycoside and erythritol overcomes the after taste and hydroscopic characteristics of the terpene glycoside, and the powder erythritol binds with the terpene glycoside powder to eliminate the dusty characteristics of terpene glycoside. Further, the fructose component, by carrying terpene glycoside, mediates a complete blending between the terpene glycoside powder and erythritol powder while prohibiting the caking which would normally accompany erythritol. Further, the fructose also helps to mediate the after taste of terpene glycoside, yet is present in sufficiently small amounts so as to significantly impact on the low-caloric nature of the composition. The final product is therefore a non-caking and non-hydroscopic sweetener composition which is advantageously low caloric and low glycemic and can therefore readily be utilized in a wide variety of sweetener applications. The product avoids the factors which generally cause concerns from a dental standpoint. Further, the flavor profile is substantially free of any after taste.